By Bronwyn Hastings

Government Services Minister Gabrielle Williams and Member for Ripon Martha Haylett visited Ararat last week, where a Telstra mobile tower has been upgraded to provide 5G access through a Connecting Victoria program.

A further 12 mobile projects are underway in the greater Ararat area, including seven new mobile towers, to expand coverage. 

Ms Williams said the program would ensure less blackspots and better coverage.

“We are delivering more reliable mobile coverage and faster internet across the state – not only for work, study and leisure, but also for accessing information and keeping in touch with loved ones during an emergency,” she said.

“We’ve made great progress with more than 600 connectivity projects already delivered, and many more to come – particularly in regional Victoria.”

The $540 million Connecting Victoria program is delivering mobile, broadband and wi-fi infrastructure, the progress of which can be followed online.

“We’ve released an online dashboard, allowing people to track the projects and how they impact their community. It’s a great way for people to see what’s ahead of them and how they can benefit,” Ms Williams said.

The State Government has delivered more than 600 connectivity projects, including more than 230 mobile towers upgraded from 4G to 5G. More than 200 towers in bushfire, flood and storm-prone areas have had battery back-up installed to give better coverage in extreme conditions, and more than 100 broadband projects to benefit 75,000 businesses and homes have been completed. 

All remaining projects – including more than 300 new mobile towers – will be delivered by 2026, with many set to be completed much sooner. 

More than 1300 premises will also have access to faster internet in June through fibre to the premises upgrades.

Ms Haylett said the upgrades were important to rural communities.

“New and upgraded mobile towers make a huge difference to our rural communities,” she said.

“They make it easier to do business, respond to emergencies, and stay connected with each other.” 

Since 2015, the government has invested in connectivity improvements through more than 1500 mobile projects and more than 160 broadband projects, with most located in regional Victoria.

People wanting more information can visit the Connecting Victoria dashboard at vic.gov.au/connectingvictoria.

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